Harmony Valley Farm An update for our Community Supported Agriculture Members - Since 1993

August 2-3, 2013

Amaranth and EgypƟ an Spinach - Summer Super Foods This Week’s Box by: Andrea Yoder Z瑑«®Ä® ÊÙ Cç‘çЛÙÝ: Chilly outside? Warm up with a bowl of cream of zuc- There comes a day in every summer chini and sweet corn soup. Garnish with pickled jalapeños and cilantro and serve when the prevailing ques on of the day at with homemade tor lla chips. For your cucumbers, pickle them and add to ginger our farmers’ market stand is, “Do you have salad over pan seared Ahi Tuna and a deep-fried wonton cracker for an impressive salad mix or le uce today.” Believe me, party appe zer. we try….probably more than we should Só››ã«›ƒÙã Cƒƒ¦› ÊÙ CƒÙÙÊãÝ: Toss this crisp cabbage in a creamy coleslaw some mes! Le uce seeds germinate best mix with carrots and place on top of a spicy shredded pork sandwich. in cool soil, so it’s hard to even get a le uce BÙʑ‘ʽ® ÊÙ Cƒç½®¥½Êó›Ù: Great alterna ve to tradi onal Alfredo sauce is to plant to grow in the heat of the summer. If make a creamy caulifl ower sauce. Use caulifl ower, veggie broth, garlic, bu er, it does come up, it’s a race against me for some salt, nutmeg, coconut oil, and half and half for an easy quick sauce to top off the le uce to grow big enough for harvest your pasta of choice. before the dreaded purslane takes over. Só››ã SփĮݫ OÄ®ÊÄÝ: These onions are great grilled and topped on a grilled Purslane is a weed we ba le every year cheeseburger; their sweet fl avor adds a deligh ul fl avor contrast to the savory during the ho est part of the summer. We burger. understand that salad mix and le uce are AÃكÄã« Gٛ›ÄÝ Ι E¦ùÖã®ƒÄ S֮ă‘«: See main ar cle for more informa on! considered staple items for many house- Iヽ®ƒÄ GƒÙ½®‘: Make sure you set aside some of this beau ful garlic for the up- holds, which is why we try so hard. But coming tomato harvest, this garlic will make an awesome marinara sauce that you some mes it’s best to yield to nature and can preserve and use in the winter! focus on what each season has to off er Gٛ›Ä B›½½ P›Ö֛ÙÝ: Dice and sauté along with corn, onions, garlic and zucchini. instead of trying to force something that’s Add a squeeze of lime juice and fresh basil. not meant to be. Só››ã CÊÙÄ: Grill and toss with black beans, nectarines, avocado, tomato, and So just what are we supposed to do cilantro for a summer fresh salsa to top on grilled chicken tacos. with that void on our plate that is typically DƒÄ‘›Ù, B½ƒ‘» ÊÙ L®½ƒ‘ BÙ®—› E¦¦Ö½ƒÄã ÊÙ SçÄ J›ó›½ M›½ÊÄ: Due to the cooler occupied by a salad made of le uce? This weather we’ve had lately, we are harves ng fewer of these items this week. You is the me of year when the heat-loving will get one of these items as a bonus in your box this week! vegetables of summer really shine. Have TÊÃ㮽½ÊÝ: Remove the husk and roast over an open fl ame. Blend with diced some fun experimen ng with diff erent avocados, onion, garlic, lime juice and cilantro in a food processor for a tangy kinds of veggies and diff erent ways of pre- guacamole. paring them. You can s ll eat salads…just C«Ê®‘›: Basil make them veggie salads such as corn and black bean salad or creamy cucumber sal- ad. There are also a lot of other interes ng vegetable! The nutrient value of amaranth more. While we originally grew amaranth ways to prepare summer vegetables such is about three mes the value of spinach as a salad green, we discovered the value as grilling, roas ng, s r-frying and marinat- and it is high in protein, calcium, iron, and of amaranth as a survivor of summer heat ing. It’s summer…have fun and experiment vitamins A & C as well. Another interest- when it was one of the few salad mix com- with some other vegetables and recipes to ing fact about amaranth is that this plant is ponents that survived in the middle of a fi ll that void on your plate that the salad able to convert twice the amount of solar hot summer. Since we didn’t have enough usually occupies. In your boxes this week, energy using the same amount of water other salad le uces to pair it with, we let you will fi nd two very interes ng, unique as most other plants--it can even survive a it grow up to a larger size and discovered it and beau ful summer greens—Amaranth drought! made a good mid-summer cooking green. and EgypƟ an Spinach. Yes, we know we’re Richard came across amaranth when he While small amaranth leaves can be pushing the limit on greens by pu ng two no ced a neighbor growing it in their yard. eaten raw, we recommend larger, more in the box in the same week, but they both They actually got the seed from their aunt mature leaves be cooked. When cooked, happen to be ready at the same me and in Poland who grew the plant and saved amaranth has a fl avor similar to spinach, they are both too special to leave them in her own seed. Our neighbors were kind but be er. It is best when steamed with a the fi eld! We have chosen to grow both enough to share some of their seed with small amount of liquid, s r-fried, sautéed of these greens specifi cally because they Richard and he started growing amaranth or used in soups. I boiled some amaranth thrive in the heat of summer. and saving the seed. He sent some of the and found that all of the pink pigments in Amaranth is the stunning magenta seed to Frank Morton, a seed breeder at the leaves were leached into the cooking colored bunched green in your box. It Wild Garden Seeds. Frank grew the seed water leaving the leaves green! While this originated in South/Central America and out and started producing this “Polish Ama- is a fun experiment to do with the kids, has spread across the world to become ranth.” He con nues to grow and sell this from a nutri onal standpoint it would be an important food for many cultures. In variety and s ll credits Richard in his annual a shame to lose all the valuable nutrients the United States, you may fi nd amaranth catalog as the original source of the seed. unless you were going to use the cooking grown more as an ornamental plant than In recent years we have found other variet- water for something else. Both the leaves for a food crop, which is a bummer since ies with more deeply colored red leaves and the stems of this plant are edible. amaranth is an excep onally nutri ous and seldom grow the Polish variety any Prior to cooking, remove the leaves from

www.harmonyvalleyfarm.com - (608) 483-2143 - [email protected] - S3442 Wire Hollow Rd Viroqua WI 54665 the stems. You’ll want to cook the stems that help to boost the immune system to discarded. While this green can be eaten just a li le longer than the leaves. In China, help the body fi ght off illness and prevent raw, it is recommended that it be cooked. amaranth is o en just s r-fried with garlic. cancer and premature aging amongst other Cooking and ea ng out of a CSA box In Korea, amaranth is o en boiled and then health benefi ts. This green contains a takes some me to adapt to. Members tell dressed with sesame oil, chili paste and soluble fi ber that gives it a viscous texture us it’s a 2-3 year transi on from regular sesame seeds and served as a condiment. you’ll no ce when you cut into the leaves grocery store shopping to planning meals Amaranth pairs well with many of the other or stems. When used in soups, it will help around the contents of a CSA box. Recently summer vegetables including corn, sum- to thicken the soup. The viscosity of this I spent some me looking through the new mer squash, tomatoes, peppers, garlic and fi ber is more no ceable when the cooked cookbook, Farm Fresh and Fast, recently onions. You can also subs tute amaranth in green is eaten cold, but is hardly no ceable published by the Fairshare CSA coali on. any recipe you might normally use spinach when eaten warm or in soups. This cookbook is a great resource for CSA in. Egyp an spinach is common in middle- members as it was wri en for those cook- The second green in your box is Egyp- eastern cuisine and grocery stores where it ing out of a CSA box! It contains great Ɵ an Spinach. We stumbled across it one is o en sold cooked and frozen. It is most resources for storage guidelines, prepara- year when we were fl ipping through a seed o en used in a tradi onal Egyp an soup on and use sugges ons, ideas for appro- catalog from a Japanese seed company. We that contains a chicken broth base along priate seasonal subs tu ons, and really no ced one of its quali es is that it thrives with coriander, cumin, and garlic. I found great recipes that jive with the Midwestern in the heat of the summer…..yes, another several diff erent versions of this soup, each growing season. I highly recommend this vegetable to fi ll that mid-summer gap! with their own varia ons. Since I’ve never cookbook as a valuable resource for every Egyp an spinach is also known as Molokhei- been to Egypt or have had a chance to eat CSA household. You can purchase this ya which means “vegetable for a king.” It authen c Egyp an Spinach soup, I had to book through FairShare CSA Coali on at is thought to have originated in India and se le for doing my best to adapt the recipes www.csacoali on.com. Egypt. The story behind this name goes I found to a recipe we can make in the U.S. Win a Farm Fresh and Fast Cookbook! back to about 6000 BC when it was used Egyp an spinach can also be steamed or Send us a recipe with Amaranth or Egyp an to make a soup for an Egyp an king who boiled and dressed with a sauce or dress- was sick. He drank it every day un l he was Spinach, along with a picture of it and you ing as simple as a li le bit of soy sauce, rice will be entered into a raffl e to win your healed and the soup was credited for his vinegar and sesame oil. When preparing return to health. This green also has excep- very own cookbook! Submissions must be this green, separate the leaves from the received by Saturday, August 10th. Send onally high nutrient value with as much as stem. The upper por on of the stem is 4-5 mes more iron, carotene, B vitamins, recipes and photos to tender and can be cut into bite-sized pieces [email protected] and vitamins E, C, K than regular spinach. and cooked. The lower por on of the stem It is thought to have nutri onal proper es is more tough and fi brous and should be (We have a bonus recipe online, too!) Amaranth & Corn Stewed in Coconut Milk EgypƟ an Spinach Soup by Chef Andrea Yoder by Chef Andrea Yoder Serves 4 Serves 4 1 Tbsp bu er 8 cups water 1 Tbsp sunfl ower oil 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 2 chicken legs 4-6 cloves garlic, crushed ¾ cup onion, small dice 2 chicken thighs Salt, to taste 1 ½ tsp cumin 1 medium onion, diced and divided Ground Black Pepper, to taste ⅛ tsp allspice in half 1 lemon, sliced into wedges 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste ½ tsp cumin, ground Cilantro, roughly chopped Freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp plus ½ tsp coriander, ground (op onal) 1 cup fresh corn kernals 1 bunch Egyp an Spinach, leaves and 2 cups cooked rice 12 oz coconut milk stems separated 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice 1. Heat water and chicken legs and thighs in a medium sauce pot over medium 1 cup green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces heat. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat so the liquid con nues to 1 bunch amaranth greens, leaves and stems simmer. Simmer for about 1 hour, then remove the chicken pieces from the separated broth and set aside to cool. Skim the surface of the broth to remove any ½ cup fresh basil, chiff onade (sliced thinly) impuri es or excess oil. You should have about 5 cups of broth now. If not, add 1. Melt bu er in a small sauce pot over me- enough water to get 5 cups total. When the chicken is cooled, pull the cooked dium heat. Add onions and garlic and chicken off the bone, cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside. sauté un l tender. Add cumin, allspice, salt 2. Add half of the onion, ½ tsp cumin and 1 tsp coriander to the broth and return and black pepper. S r to combine, then the soup to a simmer. Cut the tender por ons of Egyp an spinach stems into add corn, coconut milk and lime juice. bite-sized pieces and add to broth. Roughly chop the leaves into bite-sized Simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for pieces and s r into the hot liquid. Add the chicken pieces and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or un l the coconut milk 10 minutes. has been reduced by half. 3. While the soup is simmering, it’s me to prepare the “tasha.” This is an impor- 2. Add the green beans and simmer for tant part of the soup and is what makes this soup unique and tasty. In a small another 5 minutes. In the mean me, cut sauté pan, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the the amaranth stems into bite-sized pieces crushed garlic. S r and cook over medium heat un l the garlic is nicely and add to the pan. Simmer for 2-3 min- browned and smells toasty. Remove the pan from the heat and s r in ½ tsp utes. Roughly chop the leaves into bite- ground coriander. Carefully add the tasha to the soup. You should hear a sized pieces and add to the pan. S r to “tsssh” sound when you do so. This means you did it right—congratula ons! combine the greens un l they are wilted 4. Con nue to cook the soup for about 10 more minutes. Just before serving taste and fully incorporated. a spoonful and add salt and pepper as needed. 3. Con nue to simmer the vegetable mixture 5. Serve the hot soup with cooked rice. Either put the rice in a bowl and ladle the for another 5-10 minutes un l greens are soup on top, or serve the rice and soup in separate bowls and combined to- tender. Taste and add addi onal salt and gether bite by bite. Either way, it’s important for each diner to garnish the soup pepper to your liking. Serve warm and with a squeeze of lemon, and if desired, the remaining diced onion and cilantro. garnished with fresh basil. Harmony Valley Farm An update for our Community Supported Agriculture Members - Since 1993

August 2-3, 2013

Find our bonus recipe for amaranth and Egyp an spinach below. Read our Main Newsle er ar cle to learn more about these two featured vegetables! Sautéed Amaranth or EgypƟ an Spinach with Hot & Garlicky Sauce by Chef Andrea Yoder Serves 4 2 Tbsp sunfl ower oil 1. In a very small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. When it is hot, add the 1-2 dried thai chiles (or garlic and chili pepper. S r the garlic carefully in the oil to keep it from s cking. other small hot pepper) Cook un l the garlic just starts to turn golden. Remove from heat and set aside 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed to cool and steep for about 10-15 minutes. 4 Tbsp soy sauce 2. When the oil mixture is cooled, add soy sauce, brown sugar, pepper, ginger and 2 tsp brown sugar cinnamon. Heat the mixture over medium heat. When the sauce just starts to ⅛ tsp Sichuan pepper or bubble, start s rring to keep the sugar from s cking. Simmer and cook for white pepper, ground about 1 minute, then remove from heat and set aside. 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced 3. Heat ½ cup water in a medium saute pan. When it begins to simmer, add the ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon amaranth or Egyp an Spinach stems (cut into bite-sized pieces), then add the 1 bunch amaranth greens or Egyp an leaves on top. Cover and allow the greens to steam and wilt down for about Spinach, leaves and stems separated 1 minute, then remove the cover. S r the greens to make sure all the leaves ½ cup water are incorporated into the steam or water. Simmer for about 5-8 minutes un l the leaves are tender and most, but not all of the liquid has evaporated. 4. Add the sauce, s r to combine and return to a simmer. Simmer for an addi on- al 1-2 minutes then remove from heat. 5. The sauce and greens are very rich, so just a small por on is tasty served along with rice and sautéed fi sh, chicken or tofu.

Produce Plus Basil, 3 pounds - $27 Order by 5pm on Wednesday, August 7th for delivery on August 9-10. When ordering, please include: Name Phone Number Delivery Site Quantity of item being Ordered To order, please call 608-483-2143 x2 or email [email protected] Local, Mazo, Cross Plains and Token Creek Customers: Place order by Wednesday, August 7th for pick-up at your site on August 9-10. Please place a check in the mail the same day as placing your order. Madison Customers: Place your order by Wednesday, August 7th for pick-up at our Dane County Farmers’ Market Stand on Saturday, August 10th. You may pay any market stand worker when you pick up your order.

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